August 2, 2022

SCBWI Partners with the ALA Against Book Banning

by Sarah Baker, Executive Director, SCBWI

Dear SCBWI Members,

The SCBWI has partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) in their Unite Against Book Bans (UABB) campaign, and the UABB is actively seeking your help in this vital struggle.

Free speech and free expression are human rights that transcend politics, and children need access to a variety of literature in public libraries, school libraries, and school curricula. As Richard Peck said so often at our conferences, "If you cannot find yourself on the page very early in life, you'll go looking for yourself in all the wrong places." Over the years, I've lost count of the number of children's book creators who found their life's calling in the library, curled up with a banned book.

The SCBWI joins over fifty national partners in the UABB campaign, and if you’ve ever wanted to join this joyful struggle, this campaign is a great opportunity to get involved. As children’s book creators, your voices and participation will truly make a difference, and I hope as a community we can support this cause.

Fractions and Fairy Tales: Finding Inspiration in Creative Retellings

by Elana K. Arnold

Elana K. Arnold

Where do stories come from?

This is a giant question, so let’s focus in a bit: Where do your stories come from?

Isn’t this what so many of us writers are asking, each time we sit at our desks? Sometimes, rapturously; sometimes, searchingly; sometimes, desperately. Story, we beseech, where are you? Where did you come from? Where did you go?

My stories, I’ve discovered, are the result of a math equation (which math-hating teen-me would find quite ironic). The equation is this:

1/3 me + 1/3 things outside me + 1/3 what if = story

The first third—the “me” portion—is things I’ve experienced. My life events, my emotional responses, my embodied experiences. The third third—the “what if”—that’s the magic. The spark.

There are things I can do to increase the breadth and depth of these two pools: I can have more experiences. I can think more deeply about the experiences that shaped me, the philosophies I was stewed in, the relationships I’ve had and am having. I can practice nurturing my imagination through writing exercises, through focusing on dreams, by fostering a sense of play and—even better—by practicing what I call unclenching—relaxing my body and my mind so there’s room for the “what if” to get in.

The middle third—that’s the “hunt and gather” third. Rather than looking inward, I look up, and around: at the cultural conversations, the books and films and TV and music I’m interested in, things like that. And this is where fairy tales can come in.

My novel Red Hood is a great example of my Rule of Thirds. This is the math:

My experience as a menstruator, under a full moon, fueled by so much anger over the politics and policing of menstruators’ bodies + werewolf lore & Little Red Riding Hood + “What if a girl whose period syncs with the full moon becomes a hunter of werewolves, who also transform with the full moon?” = Red Hood

Social Media Spotlight: August 2022

by Avery Silverberg

Welcome back to this month’s Social Media Spotlight, where I help answer your most pressing social media and book marketing questions! My name is Avery Silverberg, and I am a marketing assistant at Scholastic and the former social media manager here at the SCBWI. I want to help you reach your marketing goals—so if you struggle with how to get your book in the hands of more readers, send me an email at socialmediahelp@scbwi.org.

Hi,

I am a new children’s book author. My question is do you have any experience with buying ads on Facebook? How effective are they for selling books? Is there a certain way to word content in a Facebook ad that makes it more effective?

Kayleen

Hi Kayleen,

Thanks for your question! Ads are a great way to get your books to readers who are interested in similar content but might not be aware of your work already. Facebook even allows you to target certain demographics, such as age, gender, and location, which is helpful when thinking about who you want your ad to reach—but no worries if this is too complicated for you. Facebook is also great at feeding your ad to the audience they assume will fit best.

Keep in mind: In order to use Facebook Ads Manager, a tool for running ads on Facebook (and Instagram, too!), you must create a Facebook Author group. Creating an ad on any social platform is similar to the tools we’ve discussed for creating an effective post. Be sure to use a photo of your book or a graphic that’s visually appealing. I suggest using a graphic-design website called Canva to create a fun image that will catch the eye of your target audience. Include a short and simple tag line (similar to a pitch) that will hook your reader’s eye right off the bat. Sometimes, using an enticing quote from your book works well, too!

Make sure your ads are simple and easy for your audience to read and locate. Include your book-buying links, author website URL, and of course, a catchy caption! Facebook ads are also great because you can include a call-to-action button, which allows your audience to click “Shop Now”—automatically leading them to your buy link!

I hope all this information helps, and best of luck!

Avery

Another Top-Notch Publication for Independently Publishing Members!

Anyone who’s gone the independent publishing route knows you can’t do it alone; you need a solid team of professionals in your corner. It’s not always easy to sort the ethical service providers from the scams. However, as an SCBWI member, you have an advantage! As part of the SCBWI’s organizational membership with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), all SCBWI members now have access to ALLi’s annual Self-Publishing Services Directory.

This digital manual is a comprehensive list of editors, designers, copyeditors, publishers, publicity services, and providers of writing tools. Each provider has been thoroughly vetted by ALLi’s Watchdog Team for business ethics and quality. This book is a must-have guide for anyone self-publishing or thinking about self-publishing.

SCBWI members can download a copy of the guide HERE.

Exclusive SCBWI video content from kidlit's best and brightest

LEARN MORE

Tune in to the SCBWI podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, IHeartRadio, Pandora, & Stitcher. New episodes every Wednesday!

LISTEN HERE

SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund Launches First Programs

Monthly Micro-Grant Program and Russell Freedman Nonfiction Award

The newly established SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund (ILF), a charitable division of the SCBWI, has officially launched its first two programs. The ILF Steering Committee of 15 authors, illustrators, translators, and editors, shepherded by fund managing director and former SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver, has two inaugural programs now available to the public, with two more to be announced in September. ILF funds are available to all members of the children’s book community and are not limited to SCBWI members.

August 1 saw the launch of the ILF Monthly Micro-Grant Program, which will offer one micro-grant of $1,500 each month to fund a program, individual, or organization working to create positive change in children’s books and/or literacy. The monthly micro-grants are intended to help a diverse range of organizations and individuals and spotlight their good work.

HarperCollins Workers Strike for Fair Wages, Diversity Commitments

On July 20, HarperCollins workers went on strike to demand fair wages, stronger diversity commitments, and union rights. Two weeks before the strike, the union’s official Instagram, @hcpunion, released a statement saying, “HarperCollins workers deserve fair wages and better protections. Since the company won’t take us seriously at the bargaining table, our membership has voted by an overwhelming majority of 99.5% in support of a one-day strike.”

Senior designer Erica De Chavez was one of many HarperCollins employees who went on strike, and she shared her perspective as a union worker with SCBWI:

"The strike is a phenomenal display of our collective union workers' power. The level of support for the union and our demands that we have seen from the public, the reading and literary community, and our publishing industry allies is strong and continues to grow. We are skilled and passionate workers who live and breathe books, but we need living wages that allow us to do our work without the need of supplementary income or the support of family and/or friends.

SCBWI Announces Winners of Emerging Voices Award

Congratulations to Paul Ruffins and Jhizet Panosian, the winners of the 2022 SCBWI Emerging Voices Award.

Paul Ruffins won for THE SPED SQUAD AND THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF SHORT BUS FOUR. In this middle grade novel, a disabled student named Adeben unites with his friends to uncover the mystery of who destroyed their school bus.

Jhizet Panosian won for DEAR ASH, DEAR ZERYA, a young adult novel about the friendship between two teenagers, one a former Armenian refugee from Iran, one a migrant living in a Greek refugee camp, who meet through an online fandom for pop star Shawn Mendes.

The winning manuscripts will be made available to select agents and editors via a secure website. Ruffins and Panosian will each receive $1,000, as well as free tuition to the 2022 Summer Conference and a special Round Table Pitch session with an agent or editor.

CLICK HERE for information about how to apply for this award.

SCBWI Interview with a Sensitivity Reader: Phoebe Farag Mikhail

After a spate of articles in publications like the Guardian and New York Times, sensitivity readers have once again become a point of discussion, and contention, in some writing circles. But often these conversations are missing a crucial voice—that of the person hired to do this important work. We sat down with SCBWI member Phoebe Farag Mikhail, who opened up about her experience as a sensitivity reader.

How did you become a sensitivity reader?

I’m actually new to the field. I’m a published nonfiction author, an aspiring children’s book author, and a book blogger, so I have been in touch with the writing and publishing community for several years. Recently, a writer friend posted a request for an “Arab Christian” sensitivity reader from a big six publisher, so I applied as an Egyptian Christian, which is part of my identity and also something I have written and published about. I’ve also done a sensitivity read for a smaller publisher for the same purpose.

I love reading, so any job in which I get paid to read something I might already be interested in reading is a dream job. The process itself was straightforward: I made my case for why I could serve as a sensitivity reader for as broad a community as Arab Christians, and the publisher sent me the terms and eventually the book itself. In another situation, I was sought out by the publisher who knew my Coptic religious and cultural background, agreed, and was sent the book to read.

Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Congratulations to the Winners of Our Summer Conference Scholarships!

BIPOC Scholarship

All-expense paid tuition to the Summer Conference plus one bonus pitching session for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Scholarships are available for writers and illustrators – half reserved for women of color.

Jasmin Benward

Torian Colon

Anita Debro

SB Doro

Jasmine Fang

Duachaka Her

Ellen Huxtable

Anna Lapera

Jennifer Moudahi

Sola Oluwande

General Scholarship

This scholarship provides all-expense paid tuition to the Summer Conference for any SCBWI member experiencing financial hardship.